Trace-fastening



(No Model.)

T. MAROOTTE.

TRACE FASTENING No. 599,079. Pate'nted Feb. 15, 1898.

WITNESSES: v I )IMW Jv 0mm 57 2% Arrow/v5)".

STAT Es ATENT' Fries,

THOMAS MAROOTTE, OF STROUDWATER, MAINE, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WILLIAM H. STEVENS, OF PORTLAND, MAINE,

TRACE-FASTENING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 599,079, dated February 15, 1898. Application filed April 5, 1897. Serial No. 630,738. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern-.- 7

Be it known that I, THOMAS MARCOTTE, of Stroudwater, in the county of Cumberland and State of Maine, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trace-Fastenings, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in trace-fastenings; and the object of my invention is to produce a cheap and simple fastening which can be applied readily to a whiffletree or analogous device, which can be easily manipulated, which can be operated quickly to fasten or unfasten the trace, which permits the ready adjustment of the trace as tolength, which holds the trace so securely that it cannot accidentallybecome loose, and which is in itself strong enough to prevent by its application the weakening of the whiffietree.

To these ends my invent-ion consists of a trace-fastenin g the construction and arrangement of which will be hereinafter described and claimed 1 Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a broken plan view of a Whiffietree having my improved fastening applied to one end thereof. Fig. 2 is a broken sectional plan of the fastening and whiftletree, the fastening being shown in open position. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the fastening as applied to a whiftletree and trace-chain, and Fig. 4 is an end View of the fastening as applied to a whiffietree and trace-chain.

The whiifletree 10 can be of any make, and the end of the whifiietree is reduced, so that a ferrule-like body 11 can be applied to the 'whiflietree and left flush therewith. This body and also the whiffietree end are pierced by a hole 12, extending through the whiffletree from front to back and adapted to receive the trace-chain 13, which can be any usual form of chain, and which by preference 15, which extends along the whiftletree back and carries rearwardly-extending lugs 16, between which is pivoted a locking-arm 17, al-

though it will'be understood that the arm can 5 5 be pivoted on the body 11 in any convenient way without departing from the principle of the invention. The arm 17 has its free end enlarged and slotted, as shown at 18, to re ceive the trace-chain, and the width of the slot is such that a link can only enter it when turned edgewise to the slot, as shown clearly in Fig. 4. It will thus be seen that when the locking-arm is closed and the chain is in position in it the link just behind the lockingarm will bear against the arm, and so the strain will come directly on the arm and whiffletree end in such amanner that there is little danger of breaking any part of the device. The back of the arm adjacent to the slot 18 is preferably socketed, as shown at 19, in order that a link may fit nicely against the arm. Just behind the slot 18 in the locking-arm is a second slot 20, which is adaptedto receive a stud 21 on the back of the body 11, and the stud is long enough to project through the locking-arm when the latter is closed and has a transverse hole 22, intowhich a pin can be inserted to prevent anyaccidental opening of the arm.

\Vhen the trace-chain is to be adjusted, the locking-arm is turned back, the chain pulled through the hole 12 the desired distance, and the arm closed, the chain being turned so that the desired link shall enter the slot 18. A pin is then placed in the hole 22, and the chain is securely locked.

In the drawings I have shown the chain applied to the staple 14:; but this is a mere matter of convenience, and it will of course be seen at a glance that this arrangement is unnecessary and forms no part of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination with the Whiftletree 2. A device of the kind described, comprising a ferrule-like body provided with transverse slots through which a chain is adapted to pass, a stud on the body, and a lockingarm pivoted on the body adjacent to the stud, said arm having a slotted free end to receive a chain-link and a second slot to receive the before-mentioned stud, substantially as described.

3. A device of the kind described, comprising a ferrule-like body having a projecting tongue on the back side and transverse chainslots in its front and rear sides through which a chain is adapted to pass, a stud on the back of the body, and a locking-arm pivoted on the tongue, said arm having a slotted free end THOMAS MAROOTTE.

itnesses:

GEORGE LIBBY, ALPHEUS L. HANSCOME. 

